A man who grew breasts after taking an autism drug has been awarded an $8 million payout from Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

In the lawsuit, the companies were blamed for not providing the patient, Nicholas Murray, with an adequate warning about the possibility of the drug stimulating the growth of breast tissue.

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Murray took Risperdal to help him sleep as a child - a side effect of his autism.

However, the companies are now challenging the payout, claiming that it is disproportionate to the $680,000 compensation which was initially awarded in 2015.

In a statement, J&J said: "The company is confident (the ruling) will be overturned and will be immediately moving to set aside this excessive and unfounded verdict."

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]

When fighting the ruling, Johnson & Johnson claimed that they were prevented from giving "key evidence" on the labeling of the drug.

They continued: "This award for a single plaintiff stands in stark contrast with the initial $680,000 compensatory award and is a clear violation of due process."

"[The] United States Supreme Court precedent dictates that punitive damages awards that are a double-digit multiplier of the compensatory award should be set aside."

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]

"This jury, as have other juries in other litigations, once again imposed punitive damages on a corporation that valued profits over safety and profits over patients. Johnson & Johnson and Janssen chose billions over children," Murray's lawyers said in a statement.

This is not the only lawsuit currently in effect over the drug. Similar cases are also taking place in Pennsylvania, California, and Missouri.

Risperdal was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1993 for adults and generated  $737 million worth of sales in 2018.

In other news, a California man won a $21 million settlement after being wrongly imprisoned for nearly 40 years.

A man who grew breasts after taking an autism drug has been awarded an $8 million payout from Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

In the lawsuit, the companies were blamed for not providing the patient, Nicholas Murray, with an adequate warning about the possibility of the drug stimulating the growth of breast tissue.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]

Murray took Risperdal to help him sleep as a child - a side effect of his autism.

However, the companies are now challenging the payout, claiming that it is disproportionate to the $680,000 compensation which was initially awarded in 2015.

In a statement, J&J said: "The company is confident (the ruling) will be overturned and will be immediately moving to set aside this excessive and unfounded verdict."

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]

When fighting the ruling, Johnson & Johnson claimed that they were prevented from giving "key evidence" on the labeling of the drug.

They continued: "This award for a single plaintiff stands in stark contrast with the initial $680,000 compensatory award and is a clear violation of due process."

"[The] United States Supreme Court precedent dictates that punitive damages awards that are a double-digit multiplier of the compensatory award should be set aside."

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]

"This jury, as have other juries in other litigations, once again imposed punitive damages on a corporation that valued profits over safety and profits over patients. Johnson & Johnson and Janssen chose billions over children," Murray's lawyers said in a statement.

This is not the only lawsuit currently in effect over the drug. Similar cases are also taking place in Pennsylvania, California, and Missouri.

Risperdal was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1993 for adults and generated  $737 million worth of sales in 2018.

In other news, a California man won a $21 million settlement after being wrongly imprisoned for nearly 40 years.